TV Retrospective: Young Justice Invasion Episodes 16-20

We return one final time to take a look at Young Justice Invasion

Complications

We open on the manta sub; it’s been a while now but Deathstroke reports to Manta that Kaldur’s psyche is not yet repaired. However, it seems that’s not quite the truth, they’re only stalling to keep Miss M alive a bit longer. Unfortunately, Manta’s out of patience, giving Miss M 24 hours to finish her work.

Nightwing arrives on the War World via Doctor Fate portal and asks Blue Beetle what happened to the others. Blue covers that a boom tube opened up beneath them and sucked them all down. Considering Beast Boy, Bumblebee and Wonder Girl can fly, it’s a sketchy cover story to say the least. Anyway, since the League doesn’t want the War World active, they’re guarding the key chamber in shifts.

Back on the sub, as it turns and Deathstroke’s briefly out of view, Sportsmaster and Cheshire make their move and enter the sub. They hack the sub’s security cameras before making moves on the guards and finding the location of Aqualad. Aqualad and Tigress have a plan to help Miss M, Tigress tells Deathstroke she needs to stretch his legs, leaving a manta troop in her place. Cheshire chooses that moment to attack.

Miss M defends her but her telepathy is soon blocked by Deathstroke. Manta raises the alarm and sends for his troops to defend him. Tigress enters the ship’s computer room, looking for a collar control hub. Sportsmaster makes his move on Manta and whilst Manta gets a few good hits, he’s not a match for him.

Re-enforcements arrive but are easily dispatched by Cheshire. Miss M uses one of the trooper's guns to take out the security camera so she can talk but Cheshire knocks her out. Aqualad reveals himself and tries to convince her that Artemis is still alive, but she doesn’t fall for it.

Nightwing is scoping out the War World, he discovers a ‘birdarang’ – damn I feel dumber saying that and sees that it might’ve scratched Blue’s armour, since it’s covered in those Blue Beetle antibodies. Tigress finally manages to turn off the inhibitor collar. Tigress runs back but runs into Sportsmaster. He calls Tigress to take him whilst he goes to save his son.

Tigress is also no match for her father, and he has her pinned down. Manta breaks into the room but Cheshire quickly uses an electrical charge to take him out. Fortunately, Miss M has recovered and with her power no in-tact she instigates a telepathic link between the 4 of them and reveals what truly happened. Cheshire believes it but Sportsmaster is sceptic until Tigress uses a move he taught her.

Sportsmaster can live with the idea of them playing the Light for chumps after everything they put him through (although Artemis is still dead so his rep is hardly different) and Tigress asks him a favour, to sabotage the computer room so no-one can see that she was the one tampering with the collar.

Miss M and Cheshire agree to let the situation play out, she pretends she wants revenge on Manta and will free her for that reason, insisting that she be the one to finish them both off. As she pretends to finish off Manta Aqualad tackles her, revealing that he’s no longer degenerate to his father. She manages to escape.

Sportsmaster and Cheshire prepare to leave the ship but Deathstroke is waiting for them. Now Sportsmaster vs Deathstroke is an interesting fight since they both have the same level of badassness in this show. Also an interesting point that Deathstroke wants to become a part of the Light. Miss M breaks up the fights, pinning Deathstroke and Tigress to the wall allowing Sportsmaster and Cheshire to escape.

Despite Deathstroke trying to capture her, Miss M manages to escape, presumably with quite a long swim to get back to shore, or flight. In Gotham, Jade thanks her mother for watching Lian (where was clone-Roy all this time anyway?). She also reveals that Artemis is still alive. She probably hates Wally right now.

Manta updates the Light and the Reach. The Reach have come out publicly to congratulate the Blue Beetle. Nightwing, still examining the shuriken (I can’t bring myself to keep saying birdarang) ends up breaking it.

It’s a really fun plot, as is often the case when the fights are between the villains, but it concludes Miss M’s arc nicely, puts Aqualad and his deep cover mission back on the table and offers a bit of progression on the War World as well.

Rating 9/10

The Hunt

We open on the War World, Black Beetle laments that since the Ambassador won’t let them attack the key chamber directly, the crystal key is useless to them and War World will never truly be theirs. He blames the Mongul for the loss of half their fleet and the revelation of it to the humans, the Scientist corrects him to 67.3%. But she also argues that whilst they’ve had setbacks, Earth’s heroes have lost a lot more. They only truly have one loose end, Arsenal.

Arsenal is attempting to make contact with anyone but he’s not having much luck as he fights off against Reach soldiers. He finds cover and takes some of them out but there are many more still to fight.

The Reach continue their public charade, showcasing Blue Beetle and saying they intend to keep watch on the War World without boarding it and for it to become a weapon of the people. One child asks about why the Justice League didn’t stop the War World. He brushes the question off rather than directly attacking the League but it’s enough for her to drop her Wonder Woman toy.

Meanwhile in Taos, our favourite 4 youngsters are causing slight property damage and basically being vandals and criminals, our heroes. Luthor contacts them with an idea to cripple the Reach.

Miss M scans the War World with her telepathy, but senses nothing, they could easily be out of range. Nightwing’s worried she’s overtaxed after her kidnapping and they agree to search the hangar where the team disappeared again.

Arsenal attempts to use the War World’s computers to contact someone but no such luck. He’s spotted and uses the last of his ammo taking them down. He grabs one of the Reach soldiers’ weapons and heads away.

Lex gives the team a fatherbox, which will open a boom tube to the War World and locate Superboy once they’re in it. Tye thinks it’s a suicide mission but Static’s all-in, they owe them for saving them from the Reach.

They’re boomed to the War World and quickly run into some Reach Guards. They use their powers to take out the guards out, turns out Tye’s ‘Longshadow’ is largely immune to the lasers. Re-enforcements arrive and they decide to fall back. Arsenal manages to charge his mechanical arm with the War World's computers and in the process spots the 4 of them taking out some of the Reach soldiers. He follows from above.

Nightwing scans the place, surmising that he’s capable of missing clues, he should’ve spotted Blue’s defection sooner. Miss M counters that she’s the one who vouched for Green Beetle without looking deep. Nightwing says she wouldn’t have been in that position if he’d trusted her with Aqualad’s deep cover mission. They both admit they’ve made mistakes and need to get over themselves. For the record I say keeping secrets to protect someone’s cover is somewhat less bad than forcibly attacking someone’s mind, but that’s just me.

As that concludes Sphere enters the War World, and like father-box, it’s able to locate Superboy. Oh and the Reach Ambassador is about to have another interview with G Gordon Godfrey. Tim Curry’s always entertaining.

The runaways enter the prison room but are confronted by Black Beetle. They attack but Black Beetle manages to counter most of their attacks pretty damn easily. Eduardo hides as Arsenal blasts Black Beetle and joins the 4, locking out the Reach re-enforcements. He warns them that whilst they can’t beat Black head on they might be able to keep him off balance.

And the penny finally drops as G Gordon Godfrey completely owns the Ambassador after the reveal of the Reach’s warships. Whilst the 5 runaways confront Black Beetle, Deathstroke arrives and the War World and steals the crystal key. Arsenal is working on free Mongul, needing someone who can face him head on. Eventually he succeeds, Mongul sees Black Beetle and attacks. As they bust heads, the runaways free the team and Arsenal goes to find the crystal key gone (and the guards gone also, huh) he does find Guardian’s shields and Robin and Batgirl’s utility belts, and Wonder Girl’s lasso.

He opens the door, warning of the soldiers but Nightwing and Miss M have already taken them down. They had back to the bio-ship. Nightwing offering them all a place on the team. Tye is less happy about their connection to Star Labs. Karen reveals what Arsenal did and Nightwing decides enough is enough and kicks him off the team (he obviously knows this isn’t the first time, whether or not it’s because Robin said anything is unclear) the runaways decide to take Arsenal and part ways.

Arsenal sees that Lex Luthor had sent them and reveals all about his own past, concluding they were just a distraction whilst Deathstroke stole the crystal key. Luthor gave them exactly what he promised but they destroy the fatherbox and the computer he used to contact them before heading out on their own.

It's a great episode, showcasing the first stage of the downfall of the Reach, which will keep building.

Rating 9/10

Intervention

Black and Green Beetle manage to get Mongul contained once again but discover the crystal key gone. Their guards now patrol the hallways to guard the key chamber without confronting the League.

The team return to base, with Impulse wanting immediate action on Blue Beetle. Impulse wants him set him free before he conquers the Earth and enslaves mankind. In Metropolis a giant robot is patrolling the city, controlled by the terrible Toyman. Blue Beetle arrives to stop him, with mixed reception from the public. Blue takes down the robot (why am I getting a Power Rangers vibe) and captures Toyman, earning appreciation from the crowd. He mugs for the crowd and we hear the real Jamie’s internal thoughts. The Reach ambassador can control his speech via stupid looking remote.

Batgirl and Impulse are watching from above. Miss M (figure she might be needed but whatever) goes to see Lagoon Boy, whose leg has been healed. They need to talk. Blue is about to arrive home but a cable fired by Batgirl hits his leg, it holds long enough for Impulse to take out his jets. Gas doesn’t seem to have much effect and Batgirl is soon stapled to the wall. He then manages to take out Impulse as well. Since the street is deserted the ambassador orders the scarab to kill them, but…

Rocket traps him in a force-bubble, which is reinforced by a spell cast by Zatanna, there are no countermeasures for this combination. Zatanna frees Batgirl and Impulse, who were the decoys for Rocket and Zatanna’s attack.

Miss M essentially breaks up with Lagoon Boy. She thinks it has no chance of moving forward and ultimately he deserves more than being her rebound guy. 

They head to that place from Beneath in Bialya, blasting their way into the airfield. Queen Bee’s soldiers are no match for Impulse and Zatanna but Devastation, Mammoth and Shimmer, now with her melty powers are waiting for them. But they rather too easily take the 3 of them out. There is a reason for this.

There’s a fair amount of scarab imagery around this temple. Green Beetle arrives at the temple to attack. Beast Boy, Bumblebee, Wonder Girl and Robin arrive to give them a hand (ignoring Bialyan protocol not to send men). Zatanna is finally able to cast the spell, summoning a magic scarab thing into her head and summoning a Bialyan incantation. There’s a certain range to it, and Impulse uses Wonder Girl’s lasso to throw Green Beetle within the range as well as Blue, the spell puts the pair of them offline to the Reach. Even the scarab is thankful not to be a slave to the Reach.

Now time for the final round of over-explaining the point. So, get this. Batgirl noticed the scarab imagery and despite having no idea about the Reach at all, even still believing that Blue Beetle’s scarab was created by Ted Kord, took a scan and all between the time she disappeared and her being captured (which is a matter of seconds on-screen) anyway, Doctor Fate translated the imagery, revealing a spell that cleansed the scarab of the Reach’s control 4000 years ago and he managed to help Zatanna make the spell. (Despite the fact Blue was only revealed to be a reach traitor at best a few days ago)

Now for the bit that has nothing to do with the question at all. Robin and Batgirl discovered that a man named Dan Garrett had first used the Blue Beetle’s armour, he passed it onto Ted Kord but since he didn’t fancy the idea of letting alien tech fuse to his spine, he used other methods and was ultimately killed by Sportsmaster and Deathstroke? I didn’t think Deathstroke was a part of the Light until Sportsmaster’s defection.

Miss M and Lagoon Boy arrive and split off and Miss M asks about Superboy, he’s apparently off with Wendy Harris, to Miss M’s disappointment. In Bialya Queen Bee reveals she ordered them to throw the fight and now their plans are ready to proceed.

It’s a solid episode but requires a little bit of logic bending regarding the temple and the spells given what they knew at the time.

Rating 7.5/10

Summit

We open in a cave in Santa Prisca. Black Beetle, the Reach Ambassador and Scientist arrive on one side with Deathstroke, Vandal Savage, Ra’s al Ghul and the Brain (the 2 of whom have had nothing to do this season) and Black Manta, Aqualad, Tigress, Mallah and Ubu. Black Beetle insists they remove their masks and they reluctantly do so. Their more public members are conducting damage control.

The Light may have called the summit but the Ambassador asks how the children got access to the scarab chamber. Aqualad, despite some protest from Black Beetle (Vandal gave him support) responds that the Light didn’t know about the temple, they couldn’t have (yeah…) and says the Reach could’ve been more honest with them.

They begin to attack the Reach’s recent failures, Black tries to threaten them Deathstroke and Tigress attack. Tigress is knocked into Ra’s al Ghul, who takes interest in the glamour charm. Aqualad splits the two of them, saying that their conflict would only help their enemies. Aqualad brings up the subject of those on trial of Rimbor. Vandal says that their conviction is guaranteed thanks to a few bribes.

Ra’s walks towards Tigress and removes her glamour charm, revealing her to be Artemis. And thus things begin to unravel, Aqualad is revealed to be a traitor. Black is ordered to kill them but Deathstroke beats him to it. Upon his, ahm, death, he activates a hologram which reveals the truth. The Light have truly manipulated the Reach. We already know most of this stuff, but we now find they also added a neutralising agent to the Reach’s drink.

The Ambassador is furious and brings up the War World but Vandal Savages the he has the crystal key, the last piece that Aqualad needed. It was a ruse, Deathstroke is actually Miss Martian in disguise. Nightwing, Batgirl, Guardian, Bumblebee, Kid Flash and Superboy arrive on the scene.

Vandal Savage calls in a bunch of League Assassins and the single most badass line I’ve ever heard (TV.com does not agree) “I’ve had my fill of your interference, do not expect to survive” – take notes legends of tomorrow, this is how you do Vandal Savage.

But if you remember, Aqualad was in charge of security so it turns out a few of them are team members in disguise. Wonder Girl, Beast Boy, Blue Beetle, Robin, Lagoon Boy and Impulse. Lagoon Boy and Beast Boy take on Mallah and Ubu as the others take on the assassins and Reach soldiers. Vandal reveals Klarion (who has also done nothing this season) who converts Deathstroke’s sword into a fire snake to attack Miss M, he and Klarion make their escape.

As Ra’s defends that tactic Black Beetle stabs him through the chest. Ubu catches him and grapples out, promising he will be resurrected. Artemis and Kid Flash face up against some assassins together. Meanwhile Aqualad and Manta finally face off. Lagoon Boy saves Miss M from the fire serpent. Kid Flash and Impulse run around the brain, with Wally suggesting Impulse might considering wearing yellow and red, Impulse then completely disarms the Brain as Beast Boy takes down Mallah.

Aqualad uses the water in the cave to take down his father. The Reach scientist and Ambassador are pinned down by Blue Beetle. Black is called to assist but decides that ultimately the Ambassador is useless, he takes the scientist and leaves. Aqualad laments that Savage, Klarion, Luthor, Queen Bee, Black Beetle and the Scientist aren’t down and Ra’s will likely be back.

But Artemis tells him the Light is torn in half (ish) and the Reach is crippled and thanks to the glamour charm somehow also being a holographic recorder (go figure) they’re able to use the bad guys’ own words against them to free the League.

But it’s not over yet as Savage and Klarion lay claim to the War World. Aqualad is officially reinstated as leader (which is a tad forced, as there may be lingering mistrust over this) as the guards of the War World are boomed back to the watchtower, the War World leaves Earth orbit.

Captain Atom presents the evidence to the UN, and the US Secretary rescinds their invitation, inviting the Green Lantern Corps. Black says they will leave, but first they need to remove evidence of breach of treaty by destroying the Earth.

It’s a big episode and a great spectacle as all the story chains begin to unite. The problem is how much of it seemed to happen off screen and just the number of co-incidences that lead to the plan coming to fruition. Ultimately they don’t harm it too much

Rating 9/10

Endgame

I swear this is the most overused title for a finale to anything. Even I overused it in my own works.

We open on Rimbor, the judge asks one more time if they have any bribes but they have nothing to say. And they’re found guilty and sent to jail, much to Hawkman’s dismay. Miss M and Superboy arrive with Adam Strange with their evidence but Icon tells them they’re too late.

Meanwhile, back on Earth the team has entered the ship, Blue and Green Beetle along with Aqualad have confronted Black Beetle, they begin trading swords but he’s quicker overmatched. Green Beetle tries to free Black Beetle but he uses the connection to shatter his scarab. Fortunately, because of the martian physiology, he’s still alive.

Icon presents the evidence to the tribunal. They still ask for bribes, which means they’re about as interested in law as an average gambling house. Miss M argues that if they demonstrate their fairness here and now, more people will come to Rimbor and… this argument makes absolutely no f*cking sense since the population of the Galaxy want the league imprisoned.

Black tries to use the same trick on Blue but with both he and the scarab working together they reverse it and destroy Black’s scarab, he also survives. Well… That was anticlimactic. Unfortunately, he also discovers Black’s plan to destroy the Earth. MFD’s, magnetic field disruptors which are deteriorating the Earth’s magnetic field, if even one of them is allowed to fully charge, it’d end the world.

Black Beetle had no means of disarming but US Secretary General Tseng and Lex Luthor, he has a possible solution to their issue. He publically reveals the existence of the Light which is weird. He has a virus that can disable them.

Back on Rimbor, Miss M apologises to Superboy, who reveals he was only acting as a buffer as Wendy and Marvin were dating. The court decide to drop the charges on the League with the new evidence, they Zeta back to Earth. Captain Atom has gathered and everyone and I mean everyone Blue Devil, Garth, Red Arrow, Arsenal and the Runaways have joined the team and Reach. Lex has provided them with eggs containing his virus, if they touch the drone against the MFD, it shuts it down. There are 40 assembled there, a testament to how large the cast is (bear in mind, Icon, Hawkman, the 6 on trial and the other 2 Green Lanterns aren’t on Earth right now) so they’ll be in pairs, with one running interference and the other touching the MFD.

The Leaguers are about to leave Rimbor as Vandal Savage projects a message, declaring Earth off limits to invasion with the War World enforcing that threat. 

Snapper Carr is ops manager for the mission. We see Aqualad and Lagoon Boy attempt to attack one of the underwater MFDs (presumably there’s no more than a couple of these, despite the water occupying the majority of the Earth) they make their move.

Artemis and Kid Flash are working in Paris, they finish the job and kiss. Static and Black Lightning are enjoying themselves in the sewers, Black Lightning offers to be his mentor. The other teams were also successful but it appears they’ve missed on as the Earth’s magnetic core is still destabilising. Blue finds one in the arctic, that he couldn’t find before because of the Earth’s magnetic pole.

Since there aren’t zeta tubes in the arctic, it’s up to Flash (now voiced by James Arnold Taylor for some reason) and Impulse to stop it but the MFD has already gone chrysalis, it’s too late for the egg to do anything. Luthor advises they could use their own kinetic energy to siphon off the energy from the chrysalis. Kid Flash heads off to help and between the 3 of them they succeed in stopping the end of the world. But there’s a problem, Kid Flash’s slower speed is making him an exit valve for the chrysalis’ energy. Impulse and the Flash slow down but it’s too late, he disappears into the ether of fan theories.

And we get a line that’s kinda funny taken out of context

“Wait, where’s Wally?”

Artemis breaks down crying as the others are saddened by his loss. The team from Rimbor arrive to see the destroyed cave. The rest of the team and the League descend and Batman asks Aqualad what happened (erm, did Batman know of Aqualad’s deep cover mission? Did they find out on Rimbor? I want answers goddamn it) The Justice League and the Lanterns escort the Reach out of Earth.

Secretary Tseng resigned after the Reach, G Gordon recommends Luthor for the position next (I’m not sure that’s possible but…) Captain Atom uses that moment to hand leadership of the League to Black Canary. Nightwing has decided to take a leave of absence, recommending Barbara if he needs someone to step up. Impulse is now in yellow and red as Artemis, now in Tigress uniform, greets him. She needed some distance.

Static, Robin and Wonder Girl start talking leading Superboy to wonder when Tim and Cassie became a couple. Wait, WHAT? They shared all of one scene together! Anyway, the team are now also going to operate out of the watchtower and Aqualad begins assigning new missions to them.

Meanwhile, Vandal Savage arrives on Apokolips, with G Gordon Godfrey revealed to be a part of that, Vandal shakes hands with Darkseid.

Can’t wait to see where this leads...

Goddamn it.

Aside from a few minor details, this is a great ending, providing closure to the Reach arc, concluding Blue’s season-long arc, and freeing the League of course. It also had some nice setup for the next season if it ever came to be.

Rating 8.5/10

Young Justice remains one of the best written DC Shows out there, and off the shoulders of the DC Animated Universe, that’s a major compliment. This and Green Lantern marked the unfortunate point where DC show’s dipped in quality. Beware the Batman was mediocre and ultimately disappointing and Teen Titans Go is an abomination against the Teen Titans.

We’re not done with DC Animation yet, we’ll be looking at Green Lantern: The Animated Series at some point as they also have some great episodes worth exploring. In the meantime, Batman: Bad Blood will be reviewed during the hiatus period. And it suuuccckkkksss

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Images/clips used in this review are from Young Justice Invasion, Star Wars episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Green Lantern: The Animated Series and Where's Wally and belong to their respective owners. All images in this review are subject to fair use